Road signs in Lithuania conform to the general pattern of those used in most other European countries as set out in the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.[1] Due to the country being occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union between 1940 and 1990, when it restored its independence, modern road signs used in Lithuania are in many ways similar in design to road signs used in the Soviet Union before its dissolution in 1991. This design of road signs is still used in most post-Soviet states, in particular Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Neighboring post-Soviet Baltic countries Latvia and Estonia, which were also occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, have significantly modified their road sign designs, resulting road signs in these two countries being extremely different in design from road signs used in most other post-Soviet states.
Lithuanian road sign design saw minor changes in 2014. Some of the warning signs design were changed, a few new signs were added, like the sign indicating speed bump (formerly uneven road sign was used for indicating speed bumps), or sign indicating emergency stopping lane. Also, Lithuania is the only post-Soviet state to use both a blue and green background on the "Motorway" road sign. Lithuania formerly used only green background on the "Motorway" road sign, as now do the rest of the post-Soviet states.
The official typeface used on road signs in Lithuania is based on the Soviet standard GOST 10807-78 (Russian: ГОСТ 10807-78).[2]
History
The first road signs arrived in Lithuania on 1 October 1930 after the President of the Republic Antanas Smetona signed the International Convention on automobile traffic.[3] In 1940, after the Soviet Union occupied and subsequently annexed Lithuania, the Soviet road traffic rules and road signs, which had been in force in the Soviet Union since 1936, were adopted in Lithuania.[4] On January 1, 1980, the standard GOST 10807-78 (Russian: ГОСТ 10807-78) was adopted in the Soviet Union, including the territory of present-day Lithuania. In 1990, after Lithuania restored its independence by the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania and the dissoltion of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Soviet road sign design used remained unchanged.[5]
Due to the fact that modern road signs in Lithuania are very similar in design to Soviet signs, including modern Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, and Moldovan signs, there have been proposals to change the design of road signs used in Lithuania. In 2020, Seimas deputy Kęstutis Masiulis addressed the Minister of Transportation Jaroslavas Narkevičius with a proposal to change the design of road signs, which had not been changed since Soviet times.[6] He stated the following about it:
Lietuvos kelio ženklų dizainas per 30 laisvos Lietuvos metų mažai keitėsi ir yra beveik toks pat, kaip buvo naudojamas Sovietų Sąjungoje, o dabar vis dar yra naudojamas Rusijoje, Baltarusijoje, Ukrainoje, Moldovoje ir kitur. Taip simboliškai vis dar esame buvusios SSRS įtakos zonoje. Lenkijoje, Vokietijoje, Prancūzijoje ir kitose Vakarų Europos šalyse kelio ženklinimo dizainas pastebimai skiriasi nuo lietuviško. Jeigu jau esame Vakarų pasaulio dalis, kodėl vis dar išlaikome net ir simbolines sąsajas su SSRS?
The design of Lithuanian road signs has changed little in the 30 years of free Lithuania, and is almost identical to that used in the Soviet Union and still used in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and elsewhere. Symbolically, we are still in the zone of influence of the former USSR. In Poland, Germany, France and other Western European countries, the design of road signs is markedly different from that in Lithuania. If we are already part of the Western world, why do we still retain even symbolic links with the USSR?
— Kęstutis Masiulis
In March 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, two road signs were installed in the Liepkalnis area of Vilnius, indicating distances to the Ukrainian and Belarusian capitals, Kyiv and Minsk, respectively.[7] The Ukrainian flag is displayed at the bottom of the sign indicating the distance to Kyiv on the left, while "OCCUPIED BY KREMLIN" is written at the bottom of the sign indicating the distance to Minsk on the right.
On 2 April 2024, Seimas deputies Andrius Vyšniauskas, Paulė Kuzmickienė and Mindaugas Skritulskas appealed to the Minister of Transport, proposing to change the design of road signs, because in their opinion, the design of road signs used in Lithuania is similar to the signs used during the Soviet occupation. "Lithuania has not only identified itself with the Western world for more than 30 years, but is also a part of it. We do not associate our identity with the states stuck in the post-Soviet space, which were part of the USSR, even more so with Russia or Belarus. In the course of Russia's war against Ukraine and against the entire democratic Western world, we are trying to sever all links with the criminal authoritarian regimes of Russia and Belarus. However, after crossing the Lithuanian-Russian or Lithuanian-Belarusian borders, we are greeted by the same or very similar Soviet standard road signs with the same Soviet font. We are able to remove Soviet boulders from city squares, move soldiers' cemeteries, it is time to abandon these Soviet relics as well", says Seimas member A. Vyšniauskas.[8] However, the Ministry of Transport and Communications states that there is no sufficient legal basis to change the design of road signs following the example of other countries. The ministry also emphasized that installing one standard road sign costs an average of €200.[9][10][11]
Warning signs
1. Warning signs
Level crossing ahead, with gates
Level crossing ahead, without gates
Roadworks
Swing bridge
Unprotected quayside or riverbank
Children
Crossroads without priority (give way to the vehicles coming from the right)
Junction with minor road
Junction with minor road (from the right)
Junction with minor road (from the left)
Roundabout
Traffic signals
Dangerous curve to the right
Dangerous curve to the left
Double curve, first to the right
Double curve, first to the left
Steep descent
Steep ascent
Slippery road
Uneven road
Gravel loose
Dangerous shoulder
Road narrows on both sides
Road narrows on right side
Road narrows on left side
End of one-way traffic
Pedestrian crossing
Pedestrians
Cyclists
Cattle crossing
Deer crossing
Falling rocks
Crosswinds
Low-flying aircraft
Traffic jams
Accidents area
Other dangers
Level crossing (single track)
Level crossing (multiple tracks)
Level crossing countdown
Level crossing countdown
Level crossing countdown
Level crossing countdown
Level crossing countdown
Level crossing countdown
Chevron right
Chevron left
Curve to the (T)
Ruts ahead
Speedbump
Priority signs
2. Priority signs
Priority road
End of priority road
Give way
Stop
Give priority to oncoming traffic
Priority over oncoming traffic
Prohibitory signs
3. Prohibitory signs
Do not enter
Closed to all vehicles in both directions
No motor vehicles except motorcycles
No trucks
No entry for motorcycles
No tractors
No trailers
No animal-drawn vehicles
No cycles
No pedestrians
No vehicles carrying dangerous goods
No power-driven vehicles
No power-driven or animal-drawn vehicles
Mass limit
Total mass limit
Height limit
Width limit
Length limit
Minimum separation
Passing without stopping prohibited
Passing without stopping prohibited
Passing without controlling prohibited
No right turn
No left turn
No U-turn
No overtaking
End of overtaking prohibition
No overtaking by trucks
End of overtaking prohibition by trucks
70 km/h maximum speed limit
End of 70 km/h speed limit
No audible warning devices
No stopping
No parking
Alternate parking on odd days
Alternate parking on even days
End of all prohibitions
No mopeds
No vehicles carrying explosive or readily inflammable substances
No vehicles carrying substance liable to cause water pollution
No motorized scooters
No residential vehicles
Mandatory signs
4. Mandatory signs
Proceed straight
Turn right
Turn left
Straight ahead or right turn permitted
Straight ahead or left turn permitted
Keep right
Keep left
Keep left or right
Roundabout
Cycle path
Pedestrian path
Cycle and pedestrian path
Cycle and pedestrian path
70 km/h minimum speed limit
End of 70 km/h minimum speed limit
Proceed straight for vehicles carrying dangerous goods
Regulatory signs
5. Regulatory signs
Dual motorway
End of dual motorway
One-way street
Two-way lanes
One-way street to the right
One-way street to the left
Traffic directions at the intersection
The direction of traffic at the intersection is straight
The direction of traffic at the intersection is to the right
The direction of traffic at the intersection is left
The direction of traffic at the intersection is straight and right
.JPG)
